The present invention relates to toy vehicles and, in particular, to remotely controlled toy vehicles having unusual action capabilities.
Remotely controlled toy vehicles, particularly wireless, radio-controlled toy vehicles, have come to constitute a significant specialty toy market. Manufacturers in this market attempt to duplicate well known vehicles as well as the latest in automotive developments, including specialty entertainment vehicles. In addition, manufacturers are constantly seeking new ways and features to add innovative action to such toy vehicles to make such toy vehicles more versatile and/or more entertaining.
One well known vehicle trick is the front wheel rise or "wheelie", in which the front end of the vehicle lifts off the ground and the vehicle travels only on its rear wheel(s). Another vehicle trick is a rapid, in-place spin where the vehicle rotates in place (or essentially in place) at high speed on two wheels generally about a vertical axis extending through the vehicle.
Yet another stunt maneuver involves providing a remotely controlled toy vehicle with a body and chassis sufficiently small so as to fit within planes tangent to opposing sides of the front and rear wheels, thereby enabling the vehicle to be operated with either of its two major sides between the wheels up or down. In addition, the rear end of such vehicles may be located within the silhouettes of the two rear mount wheels of the vehicle so that the vehicle can be made to pivot over the rear wheels to reverse the major side of the vehicle which is on the upper side for operation.
It is also known to use wheels in radio-controlled motorcycles which are weighted in a way to enhance a gyroscopic effect created when the wheels are rapidly rotated in order to assist such two-wheeled vehicles to remain upright while being operated. The effect of using such wheels side by side on three or more wheeled toy vehicles are unknown.